One day, Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa was talking with His disciples, merrily. A lighthearted discussion was going on. Suddenly, His body became as stiff as a ramrod, eyes locked towards the glabella, and His tone took a serious turn, He began explaining about the Advait and the Energy as a Formless entity, existing in all objects, without any bias. The disciples were aware of Master’s frequent dispositions in Samadhi. After sometime, Master breathed deeply, and descended down to the plane of gross consciousness. Then He started explaining the notion of the Formless acquiring the Form. But, there was a newcomer, amongst the disciples, who saw it for the first time. His mind was numbed seeing an atypical act. His mind got a severe blow, as his western education, blocked his nerves, carrying impulses from the hypothalamus, for further interpretation. He couldn’t understand the mentioned fact, of Formless being the Form. He is known to us, he is no other than Mahendranath Gupta, often called Master Mahashya, or “M.”, the author of ‘Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’. He was a teacher of in high school. He matriculated from his alma mater, with degree of bachelors and masters. He was a young man of thirties, when he got the job offer. He even had a family, with wife and children.
He listened to the Divine sermons whole day, and left for home, at ascending dusk. Next day, he returned back to Dakshineshwar, the place of Swami Ramakrishna at sharp 4 in the the evening. This went on for days. One day, Ramakrishna Ji smiled at him, and quoted a parable.
A peacock and opium
Once there lived an ascetic in a hermitage, in a village. One evening, at about 4 p.m., a peacock came near His hovel. The saint gave him a pellet of opioid. Lost in the euphoria of drug intoxication, the peacock pranced and danced heavily, and left the place. The next day, the peacock returned back, at sharp 4 p.m., and yearned for some opium again. Opioid was offered to it, again. It devoured it, and left the place, gamboling over its majestic tail feathers. This regime went on for days
Then, Ramakrishna Ji stated the homology of peacock and Master Mahashya. He nodded the fact and said that his mind was always immersed in His remembrance, despite the type of task he might be engaged in. He suggested to be under a unique magic spell. The peacock illustrated his state in an appropriate manner.
From the very first day of his meeting with Ramakrishna Paramhansa Ji, Master Mahashya was deeply influenced by His words. He started jotting down the conversations between Swami Ramakrishna Ji and His disciples. The conversations were later complied and published as a grand book ‘Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’, in many volumes. It was written in Bengali language. But, later was translated in many languages. As the time progressed, the volumes of the book were abridged, for the most ‘busy readers’, as ‘Condensed Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’.
One day, Master Mahashya asked Swami Ramakrishna about a broader explanation of the fact, The Formless is the Form. Ramakrishna Ji reprimanded at him, for analyzing God, who can’t be sought by logic. After this admonition too, Master Mahashya couldn’t drop to any conclusions. Then, Master chastised him for digging a ditch few feet deep, then shifting to new site, for trenching the earth, to few feet again, for achieving the water table of the planet. He told him that gathering ‘knowledge’ ostensibly, is just like gathering lumps of mud from different origins and make a mount, good for nothing. If he really wanted to link his well with the stately water table of the subterranean, then the earth should be hammered at a site; make the recalcitrant mind imbibe Eternal Truth.
This made Master Mahashya aware of a deep notion, and that was the last day, when he argued with Him. He got the essence; his futile logics, conceived the power of the great seer, His teachings, reason for His incarnation in that form and lot more. Master Mahashya couldn’t come frequently because of his job, but visited Master on holidays and vacations. He even stayed with Master at nights, for many days, received the spiritual guidance, and paths for realizing Truth as a householder.
One day, Master Mahashya came to Master, apprehensive about something. He was sunken in anxiety, buried his head in his hands. He quoted that he had understood a fact that the practice of celibacy is important, after a sustained married life. Master said yes; mind is ought to made barren of sensual objects. Master Mahashaya asked if better-half didn’t tend into the practice. Master answered with some reproach, asked him to let her follow her personal conventions. Master Mahashya, alarmed by a serous reply, asked again, as his wife was menacing with suicidal attempts. Master reproved the notion, asked him to let her scotch herself to death. With such a riposte, Master Mahashya felt as if pushed off a steep cliff. He left the room, lost in the vertigo of despondency.
After about fifteen minutes, Master went to Master Mahashya, placed His hand over his head, and said that as Lord was with him, He loved his wife equally. If he followed the path towards Eternity, God would take care of his family, and his better-half would become pure. They could attain the Knowledge together. His prayers to God for making him a celibate in body and mind, would make his wife pure, and would follow the same path to Eternity.